Cybernetix
by Smileylion
Summary: What if Ozai had won, and never died? The Fire nation rules the world, the other nations wiped out in a terrible blow. Kai is a girl with a haunting secret which will take her to the very depths of hell and cyberspace. Set 1,500 years after the war.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my new story! It is also featured in my DeviantART account, which can be found on my profile. On the commentson that submission you will find links to the sogs I recommend you listen to for each chapter.**

**For this one it was Invaders must Dies by the Prodigy. It's a brilliant song! XD Anyway, enjoy! This has been my most popular fic so far :D**

Ideas

"One thousand five hundred years ago the Phoenix King, formally known as Fire Lord Ozai killed the Avatar and retook the Earth Kingdom from the savage barbarians that lived there. He jailed all the traitors that defied his divine rule, and threatened the righteous way of life he was trying to share with the whole world. The group consisted of dangerous young men and women, who refused to listen to his negotiations. The bloodbender, Katara was sentenced to death by fire. Her brother, the brutal killer Sokka was sent to the volcanic plains and died from toxic gas poisoning. The traitor Zuko was jailed and tortured for ten years before he was driven mad and took his own life. Fire Lord Azula took full responsibility for her own prisoners, Ty Lee and Mai. All three were thrown into the Great Divide, and were consumed by the Crawlers. The Kyoshi warrior, Suki, drowned when she fell into the ocean during the Great Battle. Since then, the Fire Nation has flourished and brought peace and prosperity to the world, under the Phoenix King." The master smiled at the sea of pupils sat in front of him. "Now, can anyone tell me how the great Phoenix King discovered immortality?"

A hand stretched high into the air. "Master, he discovered the spirit garden in the North Pole when he defeated the last waterbenders and he found that whoever drinks it will become immortal."

Master Sa smiled. "Very good Pazu. Alright, who knows…" He sighed. Another hand had replaced Pazu's. "Kai, what is it?"

"Master, I thought that the Avatar's group had one other member, an earthbender," a tall dark haired girl said, twiddling her pencil in her fingers.

The class froze. They stared at Kai. How dare she contradict the master in such an arrogant way!

Master Sa's jaw tensed. "Yes, you are correct. I was going to ask that question next. But since you decided yet again to read ahead in the syllabus, we will move on. Her name was Toph, a savage child who used her blindness to trick people into thinking she was innocent. That was how she earned the nickname The Blind Bandit." Master Sa paused and sighed. This was a dangerous advanced topic, the information only available to the most trusted students. How Kai had managed to find it, he didn't know. He couldn't disregard the question in front of the whole class or he'd be up for questioning by…them. "She, unfortunately, escaped the isolation that she was held in with the help of the terrorist group leaders, Jet and Smellerbee. The three of them were never seen again." He smiled again at the class. "But they were most probably caught by the mines and trip bombs that surrounded the prison."

"But what if…"

"Enough Kai!" Master Sa shouted. "You can perhaps answer the next question for the class. Why was the Avatar so dangerous?"  
Kai bit her lip, swiping a strand of black hair that fell across her face. "Because he was able to come back after he died he couldn't be stopped. He ruled the elements with violence, creating wars and destruction for his own benefit. The Avatar that the Phoenix King killed was called Aang, and he was extremely dangerous because people naively followed him because he looked like a young boy. He used them for his gain and together with his group, he jeopardised the safety of the whole world." The words felt like hot coals in Kai's mouth. She pushed the feelings down, knowing that, if she got caught thinking treacherous thoughts, she would be eliminated.

Master Sa smiled like a snake at a mouse. "Very good, Kai," he said sweetly. The bell rang a quick metallic burst, before falling silent again. "Ok, time to go children. Well done, you did great in today's pop quiz! Pazu, please put that com away until you are outside the school, it messes with the school security system." Master Sa yelled over the din and clatter of twenty teenagers all packing their books into the bags and running for the door. "I expect that presentation to be done by next week please; if you don't have a holographic-screen at your house then you are welcome to use the ones in the library."

Kai shoved her computer pad roughly into her bag, the hard metal shell jabbing her in the leg when she stood. She fished her music player (known as a playsic) in her pocket, and placed the headphones over her head. "Bye master," she muttered, pressed play and bolted out of the classroom. The bass pounding of the Ember Island Sparkers filled her ears, and she slumped out of the school gates, avoiding the masses of red and black clad teenagers. She joined the queue of kids that stood in front of the gates. She craned her neck to look out of the huge glass windows that lined the walls of the huge skyscraper that was the Fire Nations Academy for Gifted Youngsters. Lines and lines of teenagers stood either side of her, waiting to be let out of the building by official security guards. She sighed deeply, and turned her music down.

"Hey! Kai, hey over here!" A voice cut through her playsic. She looked up, and saw a girl standing in front of her in the next line. She grinned at Kai and waved. "Come over here!"

Kai grinned as well and sauntered across to the other girl. "Hey Miko, what's up?" She asked, pulling her headphones down around her neck.

Miko flicked her wavy blonde hair out of her face, catching the attention of a few boys standing behind them. With her short burgundy top and low-slung black skinny jeans, Kai was surprised they hadn't noticed her before. "Oh, I'm flamio. But can you believe that horse-face Master Oki tried to make me change my top! He wanted me to wear that stupid black PE shirt instead!" Miko sighed deeply, reaching into her back and pulling out some lipstick. "I mean, he was like "Pink is strictly prohibited to be worn by teenagers". And then he gave me a detention for saying that in fact, this top is NOT pink, it's burgundy. Everyone knows burgundy is a mix of red and brown!" She applied the lipstick, a frown only adding to her sweet features.

Kai smiled. "No one knows colours like you, Miko." She laughed. Miko was right, pink was forbidden in the fire nation, as well as green, yellow, blue, white, orange and purple. In fact, only red and black were allowed. Anyone caught wearing the other colours were taken away. Everyone knew why. Under the rule of Fire Lord Azula, all the colours that symbolised the other nations were burnt to a crisp. Pink was especially dangerous, as the traitor Ty Lee wore only pink, and she was rumoured to have a special connection to Azula.

Miko broke through her thoughts. "Hey, Kai, traffic's moving!" She giggled. "Remember when we used to play that prank in pre-school? We used to moo loudly when we were queuing. Fun times!" Miko laughed.

Kai smiled too. "Hey, don't you have martial arts tonight? You're the best one there."

Miko blushed. "Yeah, but I got a date."

Kai's eyebrows rose. "Again! Where did you meet this one?"

Miko shrugged, smiling. "When my parents took me to the beach at the weekend. We played volleyball together, got invited to a party and got so hammered I can't even remember where I put all the other guys' com numbers!"

Kai giggled. "Wish I could've been there, but I had..."

"Yeah, yeah shooting and sword practice I know!" Miko mock-sighed. "I don't know why you bother with that stuff. I prefer to rely on my own body to protect me against the forces of evil that is 'bending!" She pretended to punch Kai in the stomach.

Kai forced out a laugh.

"Not that there are any 'benders out there anymore anyway," Miko continued, unaware of the effect she was creating. "They were all wiped out in the great fires. Oh!" Her eyes lit up. "Have you heard of that club on Kasai street? It's rumoured to have been built underground to avoid the authorities!" She spoke in hushed tones. "Of course, it's already been leaked out that it's there, so it's only a matter of time before the agents find it." She laughed loudly. "Probably doesn't even exist."

Kai's ears pricked up. "Really? Why is it so dangerous?"

Miko looked around and noticed the security guards watching them. "It doesn't exist. It never existed. What are you talking about? Still hungover from last night, eh?" She said loudly. She took out her notebook, and began to scribble in it. "Here, take these, two every hour." She handed Kai the note, and nodded. "That's all true, what's in that note. Be careful how you take them." She looked pointedly in the other direction and stuck her nose in her maths book.

Kai clenched her fist around the note. She opened it carefully. _Dancing is the only way they can't control you. Be careful, they are watching you. I heard Master Sa and the Headmaster talking in the office last night. They were talking about you, babe. Try to be less suspicious. X x x Miko loves you! Don't disappear! :D P.S. probably best to get rid of this note btw. _Kai crumpled the note and stuffed it into her bag. She would burn it later.

Miko grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "I'll see you after the weekend, babe!" She planted a kiss on Kai's cheek. "Be careful! There's a big storm coming tonight! Lot's of lightening. Oh, hey, I nearly forgot!" She grabbed an envelope from her pocket. "Lightening party at my house tonight, midnight sharp! Be there!" She squeezed Kai's hand tightly, and grinned at her before skipping to the guard. "Hey there, muscles!" She trilled at him.

Kai slipped the invite into her trouser pocket. She walked over to the next guard, showing her ID card to her before hopping into the lift that was behind her. "Yeah, lightening." She thought of the note Miko had given her.

_Don't disappear!_


	2. Chapter 2

Song to listen to – When Kai says "Stay away from me" turn on Omen by the Prodigy - .com/watch?v=uVefPPr69NU

A Matter of time

Kai hitched her bag up her shoulder, scuffing the ground with her black boot, the tattered hem of her baggy black jeans swaying the breeze. She hunched her shoulders against the little wind, shivering inwardly, not just because her red fitted blouse didn't exactly keep her warm. She shivered because…well she didn't actually know why. Just a feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her something was going to happen. It was the same feeling she got before her parents had died. She lived on her own now, since the law allowed teenagers sixteen and over to legally live by themselves. Her parents had died when she was just ten, and she had jumped from shelter to shelter, until she was finally able to inherit their house. Her mum and dad had been murdered by rogue earth, air and waterbenders. They had ambushed them on the streets of Ba Sing Se, torturing them before finally killing them. Their mutilated bodies had been found a week later. She increased the speed of her paces, wanting to get home before the storm hit. The sky was growing dark already.

She slipped down the well-worn earth pathway of an alleyway that wound around the back of a large factory. This time of day the factory was closed, the massive chimneys no longer belching smoke into the sky. Footsteps sounded behind her. She ignored them, pulling her blouse down to stop the wind from going up it. It was probably just a worker on the way home. She turned down another empty street. The footsteps followed her. Now she was getting freaked out. She quickened her pace, almost running. The echoing footsteps copied her. She began to run, turning into another alleyway. Her bag bumped against her legs, and she looked up to see a huge wall blocking her. What…? She could have sworn that this was usually the way she came home. She whipped around, to see two men coming menacingly up behind her. They were dressed in grubby suits, their jackets blowing open to reveal ugly looking guns at their waists. She gasped in fear, and held out her bag. "Take it, just leave me alone!" She cried, her voice sounding weak and small.

One man laughed. "Oh honey, we don't want your money. We were sent after you. And I don't like to leave a job unfinished," he hissed the last word.

Kai almost stopped breathing, her mind going blank. "What…who are you?" She gasped.

The other man snorted. "Yeah, nice try. C'mon, let's get this over with. I'm hungry." He leered at her.

Kai's insides froze. "Stay away from me!" her mouth said of it's own accord.

The men laughed. "Give it up, girly. You're done for." They moved towards her, taking out their guns and knives.

Kai felt strangely calm. "You don't want to mess with me. I have power you can't imagine," she said boldly. Her body set itself into a fighting stance. "Back off." She raised her hands, palms facing sideways. What was her body doing? It was like she knew what to do!

The men sneered. "Whatever," one said. "Let's get her." He lunged forwards, stabbing his knife towards her face. She leaning sideways, his fist whistling past her face. She ducked under his arm smoothly, grabbed it and tugged down. He toppled to the floor, smacking his head against the hard ground. The other guy growled and aimed his gun at her, and pulled the trigger. Kai watched the bullet speed towards her as if in slow motion. She raised her arms and swept her foot across the ground. She felt a resistance tug at the ends of her fingers. She pulled it up, and thrust her arms forwards, shooting a huge wall of earth towards the man, absorbing the bullet and sending them both crashing into the metal ladder behind him. He grunted, and fell still.

Kai let out her breath. What had she just done? It couldn't be…just couldn't! She shook her head, trying to clear it. She gasped, looking up. Vibrations coursed through her entire body. The other man was getting up. She spun around and punched through the air, sending a column of earth into his stomach. He wheezed, and fell, the gun clattering from his fingers. Her fist dropped, and her legs felt wobbly. She looked around, tears blurring her eyes, and ran off back down the alley.

A figure stood on top of the building, looking down at the fight scene. Brown eyes watched the girl run off. A crooked smile crept at the corners of the boy's mouth. "Mel," he said into a com clipped to his ear.

"What! This had better be good." A clipped voice snapped down the link.

He smiled wider. "Tell everyone. We found her."

"You sure?" Mel's voice sounded susceptive. "It could just be another fluke."

"Yeah. I'm sure. Meet me at the rendezvous. We can beat her home." The boy checked his watch.

"Whatever. See you there." Mel's voice cut out, leaving dead air.

"Sure." The boy sighed, and turned on his heel, walking back to a large motorcycle that stood on the roof next to him. He slung a leg over the seat, revving the engine. He roared over to the far edge of the roof, and shot off the edge, falling on the alleyway beneath, sparks flying up from the wheels.

The rain started just after Kai turned into the block from her flat. She ran faster, her breath coming raggedly from her lungs. Tears blurred with the rain that plastered her hair to her head. She ran up the steps to her apartment building. She pressed her thumb to the small pad by the door, which beeped and the door swung open. She slammed it shut behind her, and limped to the lift, panting hard. She pressed the button for the top floor, and leaned against the cool metal walls. They vibrated against her back, so violently that her head began to hurt. Walking past the building had almost made her head explode. Everything seemed to vibrate in her vision, calling to her with high-pitched beeping. The lift pinged, and the doors slid open smoothly. Kai almost fell out of the lift, and opened her front door, scrambling with the scanner pad. It clicked open obediently. All she wanted to do right now was have a shower, and get dressed for the party. She just wanted to get drunk and party until she fell down, Miko would help her…Kai looked up. Two figures were silhouetted against the light coming dimly through the curtains. She gasped in fear, and backed towards the door.

"Wait, we're not here to hurt you!" One of the figures said, raising it's hand.

"Yeah, whatever," Kai hissed and opened a cupboard by the door. She pulled out a gun, and aimed it at the figures.

"Whoa, hey there's no need for that!" The boy (it sounded like a boy) said hurriedly. "We're here to help you! We saw what you did in the alleyway. Truth is, we've been looking for you for a long time."

Kai paused. "You saw that?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Look, just turn on the lights and we'll explain everything."

Kai narrowed her eyes. "Ok…" she reached over and pressed her finger to the light pad. Soft yellow lights illuminated the living room, bringing the figures out of the shadows. A boy about two years older than her stood in front of her, accompanied by a shorter girl, with brown shaggy hair and elegantly black-rimmed eyes. She was staring at Kai, her hand on her belt, where a large knife swung.

The boy smiled at her. "See? Better, huh?" He held up his hands, elbowing the girl to do the same. "Ok, can we talk now?"

Kai lowered the gun. "Sure, why not? I mean, you only broke into my house, and scared me half to death. Yeah, let's talk." She tucked the gun into her belt. "Let's start with who the hell you are."

The boy grinned at her. "Can we sit?"

Kai nodded, walking slowly over to the armchair. The boy and girl sat on the sofa. Kai noticed how the girl's eyes flicked around the room, assessing. "What's your names?"

"Her name is Mellesbere, but she goes by…"

"Mel." The girl said shortly, in a husky low voice.

"Yeah, so that's Mel, and my name's Jet." Jet smiled again.

"Mel and Jet. What are you guys, like, terrorists or something?" Kai's mind made the connection. "Wait…Jet…? I've heard that name before…wasn't that the name of the guy that helped that earthbender escape?"

Jet gritted his teeth.

"Yeah, that was him," Mel said smoothly.

"Thanks Mel," he growled at her.

Mel shrugged. "What? We were meant to tell her stuff." She got up. "Hey, kid. You got any food?"

Kai nodded dumbly. "Yeah, in the kitchen," she said dimly. "But you can't be the same guy, that happened about one thousand five hundred years ago!"

Jet sighed, rubbing his hand across his hair, which stuck up in all directions. "Long story."

"Tell it." Kai commanded him.

Jet stared at her. "Fine. Yes, I am the same guy that rescued Toph, I know it sounds impossible," he said hastily as her saw Kai's eyebrows raise. "But it's true. You know how Ozai made himself immortal by "finding" the source of spiritual power at the north pole?"

Kai nodded.

"Well, that isn't strictly true. What actually happened was…"

"Hey Jet!" Mel walked back into the room with a plate full of food. "Check out what I found!" She held up a sprig of thin parsley, and stuck it in his mouth. "Just like old times, huh?" She grinned, and started to stuff her face.

Jet smiled weakly, and took the herb out. "Funny, Mel, really!"

Mel grunted.

He shook his head. "Anyway. When Aang was killed, a tremor went through the entire world..."

~ ~ ~ .com/watch?v=OB3wgiaOOvA&feature=related

_Sweat dripped down Aang's face, his skin feeling like heat was pressing down on him from all angles. He tried to create a small pocket of cool air around himself, but couldn't. His ball of rock wasn't going to last much longer, he knew. If only there was some way he could get back into the avatar state...He choked, gulping in a huge lungful of air. The roaring sound of fire grew ever nearer...he could see light coming through gaps in the rock. Ozai was getting closer..._

_Suddenly his world exploded in a flash of light, rock flying into his face, cool air whooshing onto his skin. Ozai reached out and grabbed the small boy by the throat, just before he could crash into the column of rock behind him. He lifted up Aang by the neck, inches above the ground._

_Aang choked and struggled, clawing at the massive hand that squeezed his windpipe shut. "Please...you don't...have to do this!" He coughed._

_Ozai laughed, a pitiless cold sound. "Why would I stop now?" He hissed. "When I'm so close..." He clenched his fist harder, feeling the tension of bone beneath it. "You've failed, Avatar. Even your pitiful friends won't be able to stop me...once I kill you, I can finally be rid of the pests that are element benders. I will be the greatest, and only bender in existence! I will be unstoppable!" He spat the last word into Aang's face._

_Aang's mind began to cloud. "No...you can't...without bending...the world will be..." he whispered._

"_What? Perfect? Without conflict? You think __I __caused the war?" Ozai's eyes burned. "No, Avatar, it was __you.__ You turned nations against each other...you ran away, cowards that you are, just to let the Air Nomads burn and die. You could have saved them, and the Southern Water Tribe. If you had never been created, millions of years ago, this war __never__ would have happened."_

_A tear ran down Aang's face. "It wasn't my fault," he gasped, vision starting to turn black. "I couldn't save them..."_

"_You've failed everyone you've ever cared about. That water tribe girl, her brother, the earthbender, they all gave up everything for you. And now you have failed." Ozai glared at the boy._

_Aang tensed, gripping harder around the fist, then went limp. His head drooped down, tears splashing onto the ground. "I've...failed." He whispered._

_Ozai laughed again. "And now you will die." He stated, heartlessly. He gripped the neck even harder, ignoring the twitches and convulsions of the little body. He smiled as a loud crack rang through the air, and the Avatar went limp. He opened his fist, letting the body fall to the ground, the warmth leaving it. He brushed his hands together, and regarded the corpse with disgust. "Finally..." he murmured. "I have won." He walked away, leaving the broken, still body behind. Let the wasp-crows eat it. It was what he deserved._

_Toph stared up at Sokka's face, his beautiful blue eyes filled with desperation. "I don't think Boomerang's coming back, Toph!" He yelled. "It looks like this is the end!"_

_Toph's eyes filled with tears. She opened her mouth to say something back, but a tremor ran through her entire body. It felt…sad, like all the hope in the world had been sucked dry. She gasped, and her fingers loosened around Sokka's. He yelped and swung his broken arm down to grip her hand. He yelled in pain as shooting pains ran up his arm., then gasped as the shockwave reached him. Pressure built inside his skull. "What the...? Toph...did you feel that?"_

_Toph nodded dumbly. "I think it was Aang!" She cried up to him._

_Sokka gritted his teeth. "Oh no…I hope he's ok!"_

_Toph clenched her jaw. When the tremor had run up her body, she saw a monochrome vision, like the way she saw with Earthbending. She saw Ozai standing over Aang's body. He wasn't moving, no vibrations came from his body. He was dead. "Sokka…Aang's dead!" She choked through the tears._

_Sokka's mind went blank. "No…that's impossible! How could you know!" He yelled hoarsly._

_Toph shook her head. "Look around Sokka! What does it look like to you?" She was, for once, glad she couldn't see what the firebenders would do to the world._

_Sokka lifted his eyes, and saw a jet of fire carrying a huge, muscular body into the air. Ozai. That could only mean…"No…" he whispered._

_Suki ran to the rudder of the massive air ship, swinging a rope around her body and tossing it around the metal. She gritted her teeth, and leaned back with all her might. The rope cut into her hands, making it slick with blood. She narrowed her eyes, pulling harder, until the ship began to turn. She grinned as she saw Sokka and Toph in the distance. If she could only…She doubled over as the tremor hit. The rope slid from her fingertips as she lost her footing, and slid down the smooth side of the airship. There was suddenly nothing beneath her, and she was falling through the hot air. She looked over, and saw Sokka watching her fall. She opened her mouth to shout out to him, but the wind caught her, and turned her over, sending her tumbling towards the sea below. She watched the waves get bigger and bigger. She knew she was going to die. She just hoped it wouldn't hurt. She wished she had told Sokka how much she loved him. She thought of her family, back on Kyoshi Island. She thought of everything she never did, never said, wished and thought of doing but never got around to. She closed her eyes as the water got closer. Her body hit the water with a smack, and she lost consciousness. She didn't think of anything more, as her body slowly fell through the water, down into the darkness, her arms stretching up towards the receding light. _

_Zuko was blown off his feet as the lightening stuck him in the chest. His head slammed onto the ground and he dimly saw Katara running towards him, her hand covered in water. She was blown backwards as well after Azula shot a jet of blue fire at her. He reached out, but his chin dropped to the floor as his mind slipped into oblivion._

_Katara ran towards a pillar, hiding behind it, catching her breath. Zuko was motionless behind her. She concentrated, looking around. She saw the huge grill next to her, and lifted her foot to run towards it, but stopped as a huge wave of sorrow and fear rolled over her. She sank to her knees, as the wave left her she saw Aang lying still on the ground, Ozai standing over him. He wasn't breathing. No…Aang…please…tears ran down her face. She didn't hear Azula walking up behind her. She just rocked herself back and forth, arms wrapped around herself just to keep from falling apart. She gasped and looked up as Azula reached out and gripped the front of her dress. She was pulled to her feet, and tried to summon a water whip, but Azula knocked her hand away. Katara closed her eyes._

_Azula smiled. She wasn't going to kill them. She would make them watch as she and her father turned their world to ashes. She reached into her armour and brought out a length of chain. She grabbed Katara's hands and pulled them together, welding the links together with a burst of blue fire. She grabbed the chains and pulled Katara over to where Zuko lay. She pulled more chains out of her clothes, and bound his hands and feet together. "Heal him," she commanded._

_Katara's mind was still reeling from Aang's death. "What?" she gasped._

"_I said, heal him. I want him alive. It's no fun torturing someone unless they are alive." Azula grinned. She reached down and tugged her water bottle off her. She poured the water over Katara's hands. "Do it. And if you get any ideas…" she aimed her fingers at Katara's head. "You get the idea."_

_Katara held the water around her hands, making it glow. She leaned over and laid her hands over Zuko's chest. She hoped it wouldn't work. At least then only one of them would survive. She winced as Zuko stirred, and looked at him sadly as he opened his eyes._

"_Well done," Azula congratulated her._

_Zuko struggled against the chains, but a sharp jab in his chest stopped him._

"_Aang's dead," Katara whispered to him._

_Zuko's eyes widened. "What…"_

_Azula laughed. "So Dad managed to finish him off! Excellent." She punched Katara in the back of the head. She slumped to the ground, water spilling around her. "This is cause for a celebration, eh ZuZu!"_

_Zuko pulled against his chains, feeling his bones crunch._

"_I wouldn't even try it if I were you." Azula warned. She knelt down next to him, and comfortingly stroked his hair. "I'm your sister ZuZu, I'm only trying to help." She knocked him swiftly on the head with the side of her fist. "Oh well! Never mind." She stood up, threw back her head and laughed to the sky. Jets of fire shot from her hands, illuminating the destroyed and burnt earth. _

Jet fell silent, his hands clenched. "Toph felt all this. It was like she was there…in all their defeats." Jet's mouth hardened. "It almost drove her crazy."

Kai didn't say a word. When Jet had told her Aang died it was like a part of her screamed out. "But…what happened with you? I thought you were captured too…" her voice trailed off.

Jet didn't reply. "I was." He said finally.

_Longshot ran through the forest, his hand gripping a note tightly. He paused to shot and arrow behind him, hearing the soft thud as it met it's mark. Now only two fire nation soldiers were following him. Great. He ran to a large tree, and shimmied up the trunk. He scrambled down a large branch, swinging down with his knees holding him up. He loosed another arrow, hitting the second. One down…he aimed at the other man, but was blinded by a flash of fire. Sparks flew into his eyes and he yelped. He almost lost his balance, but regained it quickly. He rubbed his eyes angrily, seeing no one in front of him. The man had run. Damm it! He swung upright again, sliding down the trunk. He looked around the forest again before running swiftly off, towards the hideout._

_Smellerbee paced impatiently in front of Jet. "He should be back by now," she snapped._

_Jet nodded. "Yeah, weird."_

_Smellerbee's face darkened. "Weird!" She yelled at him. "Is that really all you can say!" She went back to pacing. "I mean, why should you care, we only rescued you from that Earth Kingdom lake place, travelled all the way to the misty swamp to find a waterbender to heal you, spent weeks nursing you back to health…yeah, why should you care!"_

_Jet reached out and grabbed her arm. "Hey! I never said I wasn't grateful, 'bee. I'm just saying, sometimes we have to be sneaky getting back here." He heard a distant bird call. "See, that's The Duke. Longshot's fine!" He walked over to the hut entrance. "C'mon! Don't you wanna welcome your boyfriend home!" He teased._

_Smellerbee stalked to the doorway. "Bite me," she said as she brushed past him._

_Jet laughed, and followed her out. They ran across narrow walkways high in the treetops, not caring about the height. Smellerbee was practically sprinting by the time they reached the Duke. Longshot was doubled over, panting hard. The Duke looked worried, his freckled face screwed up in concern. Since he had found his way back from the Western Air Temple, he had been more serious, less childish. It was like the journey had aged him ten years. "He can't talk yet, Jet. But he had this," he held out a crumpled piece of paper. Jet took it._

_Smellerbee had her arm over Longshot's back. "C'mon! Breathe! Breathing is good." She said hastily._

_Longshot looked up at her and raised an eyebrow._

"_What!" She shrugged. "It is!"_

_He shook his head and smiled. _

"_Shut up." Smellerbee helped him stand up. "You ok?"_

_Longshot looked pointedly at the note._

_Jet unfurled it, his face turning to stone. "Are you sure about this?" He said shortly._

_Longshot nodded._

"_What is it Jet?" Smellerbee moved to take the note, but he crumpled it up in his fist before she could see it._

"_The Avatar…" Jet's voice caught in his throat. "The Avatar is dead." He clenched his fists._

_Smellerbee's mouth dropped open. "No, he can't be! No!" She yelled._

_Longshot hugged her tightly. "It's going to be ok," he whispered in her ear. No one else heard him._

_Jet dropped the note onto the wood. "The Fire Nation had captured the Avatar's friends. It's too late for some of them."_

"_Who have they killed already?" The Duke asked solemnly._

_Jet paused before he spoke. "Katara was killed a week ago. Sokka a few days after that." His voice sounded strained._

_Smellerbee unwrapped herself from Longshot's arms. "What about that Earthbender? Toph?"_

_Jet looked at her and nodded. "She's still alive. They're using her for some experiment to do with her blindness."_

_Smellerbee wiped her eyes roughly. "Let's go get her."_

_Jet smiled weakly. "It's gonna be tough."_

_Smellerbee shrugged. "Whatever. We can handle it."_

_Longshot nodded._

_Jet turned to the Duke. "I need you to stay here. You need to be the leader when we're gone. I know I can trust you."_

_The Duke nodded, his young face grim. "We can take care of things while you're gone, Jet. I promise."_

_Jet grasped him tightly on the shoulder. "Thank you." He turned back to the other two. "If we're gonna go, we have to go now."_

_The huge wooden building loomed in front of them. It was shadowed by the thin moonlight seeping through the clouds. "That's where she is?" Smellerbee whispered. They were lying on their fronts just behind a few tufts of long grass. "Doesn't look so hard to get into."_

"_It is." Jet's mouth hardened, as he ground his teeth together. "It's not too late for you guys to turn around, you know that, right?"_


	3. Chapter 3

Memories

_Longshot ran through the forest, his hand gripping a note tightly. He paused to shot and arrow behind him, hearing the soft thud as it met its mark. Now only two fire nation soldiers were following him. Great. He ran to a large tree, and shimmied up the trunk. He scrambled down a large branch, swinging down with his knees holding him up. He loosed another arrow, hitting the second. One down…he aimed at the other man, but was blinded by a flash of fire. Sparks flew into his eyes and he yelped. He almost lost his balance, but regained it quickly. He rubbed his eyes angrily, seeing no one in front of him. The man had run. Damm it! He swung upright again, sliding down the trunk. He looked around the forest again before running swiftly off, towards the hideout._

_Smellerbee paced impatiently in front of Jet. "He should be back by now," she snapped._

_Jet nodded. "Yeah, weird."_

_Smellerbee's face darkened. "Weird!" She yelled at him. "Is that really all you can say!" She went back to pacing. "I mean, why should you care, we only rescued you from that Earth Kingdom lake place, travelled all the way to the misty swamp to find a waterbender to heal you, spent weeks nursing you back to health…yeah, why should you care!"_

_Jet reached out and grabbed her arm. "Hey! I never said I wasn't grateful, 'bee. I'm just saying, sometimes we have to be sneaky getting back here." He heard a distant bird call. "See, that's The Duke. Longshot's fine!" He walked over to the hut entrance. "C'mon! Don't you wanna welcome your boyfriend home!" He teased._

_Smellerbee stalked to the doorway. "Bite me," she said as she brushed past him._

_Jet laughed, and followed her out. They ran across narrow walkways high in the treetops, not caring about the height. Smellerbee was practically sprinting by the time they reached the Duke. Longshot was doubled over, panting hard. The Duke looked worried, his freckled face screwed up in concern. Since he had found his way back from the Western Air Temple, he had been more serious, less childish. It was like the journey had aged him ten years. "He can't talk yet, Jet. But he had this," he held out a crumpled piece of paper. Jet took it._

_Smellerbee had her arm over Longshot's back. "C'mon! Breathe! Breathing is good." She said hastily._

_Longshot looked up at her and raised an eyebrow._

"_What!" She shrugged. "It is!"_

_He shook his head and smiled. _

"_Shut up." Smellerbee helped him stand up. "You ok?"_

_Longshot nodded. Smellerbee's concerned expression didn't go away, her forehead was lined with years of running and hiding. She unconsciously ran a finger along her scar, which stretched across her throat, an angry red line puckering the skin. Longshot frowned as well, squeezing her hands tightly, and bowing his head to breathe in the scent of her hair. She relaxed slightly, but not enough. "What's in the note, Jet?" she asked hoarsly._

_Jet unfurled it, his face turning to stone. "Are you sure about this?" He said to Longshot shortly._

_Longshot nodded._

"_What is it Jet?" Smellerbee moved to take the note, but he crumpled it up in his fist before she could see it._

"_The Avatar…" Jet's voice caught in his throat. "The Avatar is dead." He clenched his fists._

_Smellerbee's mouth dropped open. "No, he can't be! No!" She yelled._

_Longshot hugged her tightly. "It's going to be ok," he whispered in her ear. No one else heard him._

_Jet dropped the note onto the wood. "The Fire Nation had captured the Avatar's friends. It's too late for some of them."_

"_Who have they killed already?" The Duke asked solemnly._

_Jet paused before he spoke. "Katara was killed a week ago. Sokka a few days after that." His voice sounded strained._

_Smellerbee unwrapped herself from Longshot's arms. "What about that Earthbender? Toph?"_

_Jet looked at her and nodded. "She's still alive. They're using her for some experiment to do with her blindness."_

_Smellerbee wiped her eyes roughly. "Let's go get her."_

_Jet smiled weakly. "It's gonna be tough."_

_Smellerbee shrugged. "Whatever. We can handle it."_

_Longshot nodded._

_Jet turned to the Duke. "I need you to stay here. You need to be the leader when we're gone. I know I can trust you."_

_The Duke nodded, his young face grim. "We can take care of things while you're gone, Jet. I promise."_

_Jet grasped him tightly on the shoulder. "Thank you." He turned back to the other two. "If we're gonna go, we have to go now."_

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_The huge wooden building loomed in front of them. It was shadowed by the thin moonlight seeping through the clouds. "That's where she is?" Smellerbee whispered. They were lying on their fronts just behind a few tufts of long grass. "Doesn't look so hard to get into."_

"_It is." Jet's mouth hardened, as he ground his teeth together. "It's not too late for you guys to turn around, you know that, right?"_

_Smellerbee scanned the perimeter. "Yeah right. Like we're gonna let you do this alone." She turned to stare at him briefly. "We're in this together, remember?"_

_Jet grinned. "Yeah, I remember. You ok Longshot?"_

_Longshot gave him a rare smile. He nodded._

_Jet's heart was pounding loudly in his ears. He could feel the adrenaline pumping throughout his body. "Let's do this," he whispered, and shifted up to a crouch. Smellerbee and Longshot followed him, and the three teenagers ran low towards the prison. Longshot unsheathed two arrows, and turning his bow sideways, shot them towards the two guards at the entrance. Jet and Smellerbee ran faster, hearing the arrows whistle towards the targets just behind them. The arrows met their mark with a muffled thud, Jet and Smellerbee skidded to a stop, catching the bodies and lowering them gently to the ground. No one inside would have heard. Longshot caught up with them, and shared a brief look with Smellerbee. She turned her back on them, crounching low to the ground and reaching behind her back to draw out two long, thin and extremely sharp swords. She scanned the dark landscape while the boys quickly changed behind her. A tap on her shoulder told her they were ready. She straightened up and turned. Placed the swords behind her again, she grabbed the loose grey shirt of the prisoner uniform. Throwing it over her head, her swords were now covered. She tied the cords around her waist and buttoned the shirt loosely. She would need to take it off in mega-quick time later. She held out her wrists to be "bound" together. She held the ends of the cords under her wrist, twisted so anyone would think they were tied. She looked up at the others, seeing their eyes glinting back at her from behind the masks. She took a deep breath and nodded. Jet and Longshot grabbed her arms, and pushed open the large solid door. _

_Jet's eyes darted around. It was like a fortress, or a maze. There were three walls to get through. More guards stood in front of them, glaring at them. He took a deep breath and stepped forwards. He marched up to guards, dragging Smellerbee with him. "Found this low-life trying to break into the prison." He said gruffly. _

_The guard reached out and took Smellerbee's face in his large hand. He roughly forced her head each way, looking at her profile. "Looks like one of them terrorists, don't it?"_

_Jet nodded. "Yeah, I was just gonna bring her in."_

_The guard laughed. He leant forwards, leering into Smellerbee's face. "You wanna get in here this bad honey?" He snarled._

_Don't react, Bee…please… Jet begged her in his mind._

_The guard sniffed and spat into her face. She flinched, but held strong. Jet saw Longshot's hand tighten around her arm. _

"_Take her in," the guard ordered. He laughed again. "Maybe I'll visit you later. We can have a little party, eh?" He nudged Longshot and laughed cruelly. Longshot tensed, but didn't say anything._

_Jet let out his breath as the second lot of gates creaked open. Smellerbee was shaking, but not from fear. Longshot reached out to wipe the spit from her face, but Jet stamped on his foot hard. Longshot jumped and let his hand drop to his side. They strode through the doors, hearing them slam shut behind them. The distance between them and the next gate was longer, and watch towers looming over them. Longshot squinted at the figures in them, seeing the red face paint of the Yu Yan archers. He grimaced behind his mask, looking back at the gate._

"_After we get through this gate, we'll be at the main building. After that, we tell them we're taking you up to the cells, and then when we're through the hardest part will be over." Jet whispered to Smellerbee._

_She snorted. "That's hardly the hardest part." She looked up at him. "What about getting out?"_

_Jet bit his lip. "We'll figure that out when we need to."_

_Longshot and Smellerbee turned to stare at him. "We don't have a plan!" Smellerbee hissed at him. _

_Jet shook his head. "Well, not exactly…"_

"_How…the hell are we going to survive this?" She snarled at him._

_Jet shook her arm. She looked forwards, and saw they were nearly at the gate. "I hate you," she hissed. As they drew closer to the walls, the watch towers weren't able to see them. They were in the blind spot._

_Jet squeezed her arm. "We're taking this prisoner to the cells," he told the guard shortly._

_The man looked over at the other guard, who raised her eyebrow. They didn't wear masks, showing they were higher ranking. That would be a problem… "Who's your ranking officer?" he asked them harshly._

_Jet froze. "It's…he's…uh…" he stammered. The man frowned at him, looking closer at his eyes._

"_General Shinu." Longshot said quickly. There was a dreadful pause._

"_Alright." The guard said sharply. He glared at Smellerbee. She glared right back. "I will be reporting you two to General Shinu. Get it out of here," he turned up his nose at Smellerbee. "Its stench is making me ill."_

_Smellerbee glared at him, eyes blazing. He looked down at her, seeming to grow taller. The tension between them grew and grew, until Smellerbee dropped her gaze. He smiled, and slapped her around the face. Her head snapped back, blood dripping from her lip. Longshot's hand balled into a fist, and he tensed. The guard caught sight of him. "What is it, soldier? Have a problem with my discipline regime?" _

_Longshot shook his head. Jet could see that he was shaking with anger. _

_The man took a step towards him. "Remove your mask." He ordered._

_Longshot looked at Jet, who stared at him. He loosened his grip on Smellerbee's arm, and tilted his head down slightly. Longshot looked back at the man in front of him. He relaxed his fist, letting an arrow slid down his sleeve into his palm._

"_Obey your order soldier!" The man barked in his face. Longshot didn't move. The man grabbed his shoulder, and shook him roughly. Longshot reached out a hand to steady himself, and stabbed the arrow into the man's chest. He choked, some blood trickling out of the side of his mouth, and slumped against Longshot. Longshot pushed the man back, sliding the arrow out of his body as he fell at the woman's feet. She looked up at him, terrified._

_Jet shot over and pinned her against the wall. He drew his sword, holding the curved edge up against her throat. "Open the gate," he growled._

_She nodded, and pressed her palm against a plank of wood. It sunk into the wall, and Jet heard the locks slid open "I didn't want to be here…" she whispered, desperately._

_Smellerbee let the ropes fall from around her wrists. "Not our problem. Where's the earthbender being held?"_

_The woman swallowed. "T-Tenth floor I think, but you'll never be able to get there," she stammered._

_Smellerbee walked forwards, standing beside Jet. "Thanks," she said sweetly and punched the woman in the face. She slid down the wall to the floor. Smellerbee looked at Jet. "What? She won't be able to say she gave in without a fight now." She wrapped the ropes around her wrists again. Jet smiled and sheathed his swords. They grabbed her arms again and watched the gate open. "Here we go…" Smellerbee whispered._

_They walked through the large wooden arch that was the entrance to the prison. Smellerbee's breath caught in her throat. "Oh…spirits." She breathed as she saw the hundreds of guards that stood, sat or marched inside. "We are so screwed…"_

_Jet dragged them both forwards. "C'mon, we got one shot at this," he hissed._

"_Yeah, easy for you to say. You're one of them! I'm the spit in your face, hey let's have a party later kinda girl right now," she spat. _

_They got ever closer to the very heart of the building, a massive, thin tower that loomed ominously over them. They were shadowed by it now, no moonlight reached them. Just the light from thousands of torches all around. Great…take on a firebending prison that's surrounded by their element. And when you're out numbered 3 to two hundred. Oh yeah, this was going to be easy!_

_The bored looking guard at the entrance stared at them for a bit too long, but waved them through. They walked slowly through the last gate. Their hearts pounded a painful, fast rhythm. As soon as they entered, an officer sauntered towards them. Instead of looking like a prison, it looked like a research facility. People scurried around, not in uniform but dressed like doctors. Jet caught sight of a huge lump of twisted metal being carried across the massive circular room by two guards. Jet almost threw up when he saw the tiny handprints in it._

"_Where are you taking this…thing?" the man said haughtily._

_Jet tore his eyes away from the metal. "Cells. We found her trying to rescue the girl."_

_The man raised an eyebrow. "The earthbender scum?" He frowned, and looked closer at Smellerbee. "Wait…"he reached out and forced her head up. He saw the light red shadows of her face paint. He grinned wickedly. "I know you…little girl. I was there…" his hand balled a fist in her hair and tugged her face up sharply. "When you're village burned."_

_Smellerbee cried out in pain, her eyes growing wider as she stared at his face. "You…" she hissed. "You killed my parents…"_

_Jet froze. He reached to his swords with his free hand. Longshot reached to his back slowly, grasped his bow._

_The man released her hair and laughed. "Looks like you're exactly where you belong now." His face hardened as he drew a short dagger. "I won't bother to waste a cell on you." He lifted it and brought it swinging down. Smellerbee reacted in a heartbeat, bringing up her arm to block it. She lifted her eyes to glare at him, anger making her gaze smoulder and burn. She twisted his arm down, and kneed up sharply on his elbow. The man yelled out as a sharp crack rang across the room. Smellerbee shoved him back onto the ground. The ropes fell from her wrists, and she reached inside her loose shirt, arms crossing, and drew out her swords. She whipped them around in her hands and took a step closer to the officer. "I've been looking for you my entire life." She growled at him. The man tried to straighten up, but she pushed him down with her foot. She stood over him, her foot on his chest. She aimed the sword at his neck. Sweat trickled down his brow, and he gulped like a fish._

"_You're a coward." Smellerbee's voice shook with anger. Longshot moved in front of them, as he and Jet prepared to fight their way through the soldiers approaching them. "Bee…leave him. He's not worth it," Jet yelled to her, raising his swords and setting his feet into a fighting stance._

_Smellerbee shook her head. "No, he is."_

"_Smellerbee," Longshot began quietly. "You can't sink to his level. I know you wouldn't take a life."_

_A tear ran down Smellerbee's bruised cheek. Her eyes grew harder, her heart pounding and her insides turning into ice. "Yeah," she let her swords hang beside her, the tension still not leaving her. She stepped over the man's body, and he scrambled up. "I...uh..." she began hoarsely. "I got to..." she swallowed and blinked._

"_If it's get ready to fight your way through a load of soldiers then that's great!" Jet yelped as he dodged a ball of fire punched towards him by a guard._

_Smellerbee nodded. "Yeah." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, sniffed and raised her swords. She started towards them, a bold step towards almost certain death. She crossed her swords and locked eyes with an approaching soldier. "Let's dance, bitch," she growled. A small scuff sounded behind her, and she frowned. Turning around, her eyes focused sharply on the glint of a dagger speeding towards her. She gasped and threw up her swords to protect herself. They were knocked from her hands, and spun across the ground. She looked back at the man who killed her parents. He grinned at her. She raised her fists, setting her feet wide. He lunged towards her, and she ducked under his arm, coming up behind him. She punched him in the back, and he yelled out in pain. Whirling around he swiped at her again. Smellerbee gasped in pain as a sharp sting streaked across her cheek. She stumbled back, clutching the deep cut. Blood seeped through her fingers. He kicked her back onto the floor, and she landed with a thud, her head smacking against the stone. She dimly heard Longshot yell out her name, and she blinked furiously, fighting against the creeping darkness. What...a cut couldn't cause that much damage? Unless...he'd tainted the blade. She shook her head, gulping in air. "Wait..." she gasped. "Longshot...NO!" She screamed at him. She forced her eyes open, too see Longshot run at her, a determined glare in his eyes. She struggled against her freezing limbs, trying to sit up straight. She forced her mind clear, images of the hideout, Jet's face when he first found her, covered in blood in the forest, Longshot's young face peering at her, the first time he'd held her hand, Jet lying still in the Earth Kingdom lake room, Longshot's face lit by the orange glow of the sunset the first time they'd kissed. They flashed before her eyes, her vision clearing. Her eyes snapped open, seeing colours the brightest she'd ever seen them. She gulped in lungfuls of air, and looked around for Longshot. The floor opened up beneath her when she saw him. He was lying next to her, the dagger sticking out of his stomach. He turned his head to stare at her, eyes wide, mouth gasping for air. Everything around them stopped. The world slowed to a grey blur, the bolts of fire and Jet's shouts fading to an echo around them. Smellerbee pushed herself up, dragging herself over to Longshot's body. He looked up at her, tears lacing his eyes. "Hey," he whispered._

"_No..." Smellerbee reached out and touched the dagger, just to make sure it was real. "No...baby, please, please don't..." she whispered, her voice thick._

_His head lolled to the side, and she caught his cheek, propping his face upwards to look at her. "Take...it out..." he pleaded. _

_Tears rolled down her cheeks as she nodded shakily. She grasped the dagger firmly, leaned over and kissed him, wrenching the dagger out. He yelled in pain, blood pouring from the wound. She ripped off the end of her sleeve and pushed it down on the wound. "We have to...so you'll..." her voice broke and choked off. She felt a faint pressure on her arm. She looked down and saw Longshot's hand resting on her skin. "Please don't go..." she begged, tears running down her face._

_Longshot smiled faintly, blood running down the side of his lips. "I...can't...I'm sorry...I'm so..." his voice rasped as he took a deep, painful breath. "...sorry, 'bee..." his voice trailed off._

"_No," Smellerbee stroked his forehead gently, his blood leaving a red line across his skin. "No, don't be...it was my fault," she swallowed. "I didn't mean..."_

"_Ssh," he whispered. "I know." His hand found hers and squeezed it tightly. "I...I'm really...glad that...I got to spend...my life with you." He managed a shaky smile, eyes beginning to cloud._

_Smellerbee wrapped her arm around his shoulder and lifted his body up to rest on her lap. "No...don't...you're gonna be fine, I promise," she choked. "Don't..."_

_Longshot took in a deep breath. He could feel himself beginning to slip away. "I...I love you..." he gasped, almost not able to see her._

_Smellerbee leaned down and kissed him, a sweet, tender touch on his lips saying everything words couldn't. "I love you too," she sniffed and smiled down at him. Her tear fell on his cheek as his last breath rose out of him, carrying his soul away. She screwed up her eyes, clutching his body tightly. She rocked it back and forth, crying more tears than she thought she could ever have in her. There weren't enough tears in the world to match her sadness. Her heart began to beat again. Slowly at first, but soon pounding loudly in her ears. She gently lowered Longshot's body to the ground, and reached down and closed his eyelids. Her chest shook with the effort of restraining her anger. She closed her eyes and let the grief and pain wash through her bones. It lit her up with a new strength. She needed revenge. She took a deep breath, feeling the heat run through every inch of her. Her head was pounding, her hands shaking. Her whole body screamed for retribution. She looked up through her hair, staring at the soldiers in front of her. They were stunned, held still in her red-hot glare. She got up slowly, pulling out a dagger from a band on her forearm. She stood still, letting them form a circle around her. She kricked her neck from side to side. A soldier drew his sword, another gathering a ball of fire on his fist. She looked sideways at them, her mouth in a grim line. The first soldier rocked forwards on the balls of his feet, and ran towards her, sword aiming at her side. She whipped around, deflecting the blade with her own, sweeping out her fist so he ran into it. He fell with a thud, and she turned to face the firebender. He yelled out a battle cry, punching a ball of flame towards her face. She ducked at the last second, balancing like a cat. The fireball found its mark on another soldier, who screamed in pain and bolted away, clutching his burning face. Smellerbee twirled the knife in her fingertips, standing between the last two soldiers. One pulled a wicked-looking spiked ball on a chain from his belt, the other held two gruesome sharp thick batons._

_Smellerbee raised her knife to one of them, pulling another from her belt and pointing it towards the other one. She caught her breath, swallowing. She glanced at each of them, watching them. "C'mon," she whispered. "COME ON!" She screamed at them. They lunged at her, and she leapt into the air, whirling around and cutting one on the arm. He grunted and swung his mace at her feet when she landed behind them. She backflipped away from them, kicking the other under the chin as she did. She landed smoothly on her feet, facing them as they ran at her. She ducked their blows, swerving and spinning as she swiped them again and again with her daggers. One swung his batons at her head, and as she ducked the other swung the mace at her feet. Her foot slipped, and she fell on her back with a thud. She rolled to the side as the mace came crashing towards her head. She sprang to her feet, and came face to face with the baton holder. He pushed them at her, point first and she bent over backwards, the point just grazing her lip, cutting it open. She yelled in pain as blood dripped into her mouth. She lent further back, balancing on her hands and flipping herself up, kicking the guy in the groin. He grunted in pain and stumbled to the side. She swung herself upward, kicking him in the stomach. He fell backwards, and she punched him in the face and the shoulder where the nerve endings were. His fingers released the batons, and she kicked them away. _

_A thud behind her made her duck, just as the mace swung over her head. She spun her legs around, making him trip. Her lip dripped blood down her chin as she stood and spat the blood onto the floor. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and backed towards the wall as the man approached her. Her body ached with bruises from near missed and her lip throbbed. It was a deep cut, and she could tell it would need stitches. The guy began the swing the chain, making the mace whirl around. She panted, raising her daggers, feeling defenceless. He grinned, and pulled a dagger from his belt. With lightening speed he threw it at her. Her eyes widened as is spun towards her. She threw herself to the side, but a moment too late. The dagger slashed diagonally across her forehead slicing through her headband, the cut deepening above her eye. She yelled as the slash burnt across her head. She pulled her tattered headband off her head, the fabric sticky with blood, She put her hand down to steady herself, dropping her knife, and whipped her other arm out to send her dagger speed towards his chest. It sank into his shoulder and he swung back from the impact. He stumbled, and she launched herself at him, knocking him to the floor. She pulled the dagger out and slashed him across the throat. The last breath gurgled out of him, and his head slumped back. _

_Smellerbee let out a long breath. She wiped her mouth again and clutched her forehead. Blood laced her hands, and she felt dizzy. She pushed herself upright, and limped towards Jet, who was being pushed back to the door by streams of fire and swords. She sniffed and bent down to pick up her swords and her dagger. She straightened up, and saw the man who killed both her parents and Longshot standing in from of her. She sighed deeply. "What?" she spat at him._

_His mouth was open as he stared dumbly at her blood-covered form._

_Smellerbee laughed harshly. "Sorry, have you never seen a girl really pissed off before?" Her face darkened as the anger took her mind over again._

"_You can't get past me," the man yelled at her. Fear made his voice shake. "I am the greatest soldier in the whole fire nation!"_

_Smellerbee rolled her eyes. "Oh, whatever!" She threw the dagger at him. It thudded into his chest, and he fell backwards, the stunned look still on his arrogant face. She walked over his body, reaching down to pull out the dagger as she did._

_Jet felt his back push up against the wall. He looked in desperation at the 10 soldiers approaching him, sensing an easy kill. He was done for, he knew it. A plan popped into his head. Maybe…if he pretended to surrender they would take him up to the cells, to be taken to the Firelord later…It was worth a shot. Maybe then he could still rescue Toph, even though Smellerbee and Longshot were…He forced the image of them lying still and broken on the floor out of his mind. Surrender was the only option left to him now, apart from death. And he didn't feel like dying today. He bowed his head, hearing another soldier walking towards the ones standing in front of him. He swallowed, crossing his swords in front of his head. He threw them to the floor with a clatter. He kept his head bowed, waiting for them to grab him. He heard gulps and yelps, and soft thuds. After a few moments he lifted his head slowly. Soldiers were lying sprawled in a heap in front of him, a circle of bodies around…_

"_Smellerbee!" he yelled, barely able to believe it. She was alright! He looked more closely at her, seeing her slashed lip and bloody forehead. There were red splatters all over her clothes and she was clutching her swords so tightly her knuckles gleamed white. "'Bee…" he said, walking towards her slowly. "Where's Longshot…" he stopped when she looked up at him, tear tracks cutting through the blood and grim on her cheeks. He grasped her shoulder tightly. "How did you…I mean…there must have been 10 guards you took down!"_

"_Seven," she said hoarsely. She wiped her face with her sleeve, pulling the tattered remains of the grey uniform off her body. "Come on, we have to get to Toph before more soldiers arrive." She looked around, eyes harsh. "Someone must have raised the alarm, all the scientist guys have run." She stepped over the bodies, marching towards the door._

_Jet watched her go. That's the trouble with being a freedom fighter, he thought as he followed her. When someone close to you dies, you only can allow yourself a few moments to mourn them, before you have to fight so they won't have died in vain. _


End file.
